An epic fantasy about the return of an ancient, world-destroying evil.God is dead. And Odium, the god who killed the Almighty, is unleashing terrible monsters to destroy humankind. Dalinar Kholin has bonded with the powerful spren known as the Stormfather and led his people to the lost city of Urithiru, but his work is just beginning. Now he has to unite the nations of the world to fight the Voidbringers and prepare for "a millennia-old conflict of ancient creatures with inscrutable motivations and unknown powers." Danger is everywhere, even in his own stronghold, where the highprince Sadeas has been murderedunbeknownst to Dalinar, by his own son, Adolin Kholinand in Dalinar's own mind, where certain memories are missing. Meanwhile, Kaladin is looking for his family, and Shallan is struggling to live with what happened to hers. In this third book in the Stormlight Archive series, it feels like the plot is driving the characters rather than the other way around, but those characters are still rich and vivid, and the plot is still gripping and building toward another dramatic climax. Sanderson (Edgedancer, 2017, etc.) manages to tell a compelling story while raising questions about what it means to be a moral actor in a complicated world.Fans of the Stormlight Archive series will enjoy this book, which brings back favorite characters and deepens a well-drawn fantasy world. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The much-anticipated third Stormlight Archive epic fantasy installment is classic Sanderson, with multiple story lines and unexpected twists and turns. Dalinar Kholin has to rebuild his Alethi army to fight the Voidbringers; he's also grappling with the consequences of his past actions. Scholar's apprentice Shallan Davar delves deeper into the long-lost mysteries to find ways to save the world from destruction, and Kaladin Stormblessed heads out on the trail of the enemy. Maps, illustrations in Shallan's sketchbook, and excerpts from Navani's notes are rich in detail and add critical layers to the fantasy. Sanderson is a master at misdirecting readers with carefully plotted detours, and he dribbles out revelations leading up to the climactic clash. This is just the third title in a massive 10-part saga, so there is still a lot of groundwork to be laid, but Sanderson successfully balances introducing new elements and satisfactorily resolving some threads, leaving fans to eagerly await the next in the series. Agent: Joshua A. Bilmes, JABberwocky Literary. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.